(Press Release) Defending FCS national champ North Dakota State is the favorite to win the 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference crown as announced by the Conference office on Monday, July 21. A panel of league coaches, communications directors, and media conducted the voting. In addition, the MVFC has released a player “Watch List” to highlight the league’s top student-athletes heading into fall camp.
The Bison received 39 of a possible 42 first-place tallies and 417 total points to outdistance South Dakota State (355 points) and South Dakota (349 points). All three teams reached the national semifinals in 2024.
It marks the 12th time since NDSU joined the league in 2008 that the Bison have been picked to win. The Jacks were favored in both 2023 and 2024. Illinois State’s spot (4th) is its highest pre-season pick since 2019. Youngstown State was last picked in the upper division in 2018. South Dakota matched its highest preseason pick as an MVFC member (3rd) – The Yotes were also picked third in 2024.
| Team (1st-Place Votes) | TOT |
| 1. North Dakota State (39) | 417 |
| 2. South Dakota State | 355 |
| 3. South Dakota (3) | 349 |
| 4. Illinois State | 292 |
| 5. Youngstown State | 211 |
| 6. Southern Illinois | 208 |
| 7. North Dakota | 196 |
| 8. UNI | 130 |
| 9. Indiana State | 105 |
| 10. Murray State | 47 |
| Pos | First | Last | School |
| QB | Aidan | Bouman | South Dakota |
| QB | Beau | Brungard | Youngstown State |
| QB | Chase | Mason | South Dakota State |
| QB | Jim | Ogle | Murray State |
| QB | Elijah | Owens | Indiana State |
| QB | Cole | Payton | North Dakota State |
| QB | Tommy | Rittenhouse | Illinois State |
| QB | DJ | Williams | Southern Illinois |
| RB | Barika | Kpeenu | North Dakota State |
| RB | Plez | Lawrence | Indiana State |
| RB | Julius | Loughridge | South Dakota State |
| RB | Jawaun | Northington | Murray State |
| RB | Charles | Pierre Jr. | South Dakota |
| RB | Sawyer | Seidl | North Dakota |
| RB | Wenkers | Wright | Illinois State |
| RB | Ethan | Wright | Youngstown State |
| RB | Gaven | Ziebarth | North Dakota |
| RB (FB) | Truman | Werremeyer | North Dakota State |
| TE (FB) | Scotty | Presson Jr. | Illinois State |
| TE | Derek | Anderson | Northern Iowa |
| TE | Austin | Bray | Youngstown State |
| TE | Javon | Charles | Illinois State |
| TE | Dallas | Holmes | South Dakota |
| TE | Aidan | Quinn | Southern Illinois |
| TE | Lance | Rees | Indiana State |
| TE | Ryan | Schwendeman | Southern Illinois |
| OL | Seth | Anderson | North Dakota |
| OL | Blake | Anderson | Northern Iowa |
| OL | Liam | Becher | North Dakota |
| OL | Ben | Buxa | North Dakota |
| OL | Quinten | Christensen | South Dakota State |
| OL | Cam | Dye | Southern Illinois |
| OL | Griffin | Empey | North Dakota State |
| OL | Noah | Fenske | Southern Illinois |
| OL | Trent | Fraley | North Dakota State |
| OL | Sam | Hagen | South Dakota State |
| OL | Adrian | Hawkins | South Dakota |
| OL | Keean | Kamerling | Northern Iowa |
| OL | Van | Keen | Youngstown State |
| OL | Desmeal | Leigh | Youngstown State |
| OL | Jake | Pope | Illinois State |
| OL | Landon | Woodard | Illinois State |
| WR | JK | Carter | Murray State |
| WR | Vinson | Davis III | Southern Illinois |
| WR | Jaiden | Ellis-Lahey | Northern Iowa |
| WR | Isaiah | Garcia-Castaneda | South Dakota State |
| WR | Eddie | Kasper | Illinois State |
| WR | Tysen | Kershaw | Northern Iowa |
| WR | Bryce | Lance | North Dakota State |
| WR | Lofton | O’Groske | South Dakota State |
| WR | Rashad | Rochelle | Indiana State |
| WR | JC | Roque Jr. | Northern Iowa |
| WR | Daniel | Sobkowicz | Illinois State |
| WR | Mike | Solomon | Youngstown State |
| WR | Max | Tomczak | Youngstown State |
| WR | Ky | Wilson | Youngstown State |
| DL | Jake | Anderson | Illinois State |
| DL | Toby | Anene | North Dakota State |
| DL | Kobe | Clayborne | South Dakota State |
| DL | Caden | Crawford | South Dakota |
| DL | Jaxon | Duttenhefer | North Dakota State |
| DL | Nick | Kessler | Illinois State |
| DL | Reis | Kirschenman | South Dakota State |
| DL | Jack | Kriebs | Northern Iowa |
| DL | Owen | Ostroski | Northern Iowa |
| DL | Franz | Reisz | Northern Iowa |
| DL | Jackson | Stortz | Northern Iowa |
| DL | Michael | Voitus | Youngstown State |
| DL | Donnie | Wingate | Southern Illinois |
| LB | Colin | Bohanek | Southern Illinois |
| LB | Nate | Ewell | South Dakota |
| LB | Logan | Kopp | North Dakota State |
| LB | Tucker | Langenberg | Northern Iowa |
| LB | Lucas | McAllister | Indiana State |
| LB | Malachi | McNeal | North Dakota |
| LB | Tye | Niekamp | Illinois State |
| LB | Joe | Ollman | South Dakota State |
| LB | Chris | Presto | Southern Illinois |
| LB | Lance | Rucker | North Dakota |
| LB | Braxton | Sampson | Indiana State |
| LB | Chase | Van Tol | South Dakota State |
| LB | Mike | Wells | Youngstown State |
| LB | Dallas | Westhoff | Indiana State |
| LB | Preston | Zandier | Youngstown State |
| DB | Koby | Bretz | South Dakota State |
| DB | Jonathan | Cabral-Martin | Northern Iowa |
| DB | Anthony | Chideme-Alfaro | North Dakota State |
| DB | Kimal | Clark | Indiana State |
| DB | Jailen | Duffie | North Dakota State |
| DB | Darius | Givance | North Dakota State |
| DB | DJ | Harris | Youngstown State |
| DB | Ryan | Jones | North Dakota State |
| DB | Zach | Lewis | North Dakota |
| DB | Jeremiah | McClendon | Southern Illinois |
| DB | Shadwell | Nkuba | Illinois State |
| DB | Jayden | Oliver | South Dakota State |
| DB | Michael | Olowo | Northern Iowa |
| DB | Makahi | Shahid | Youngstown State |
| DB | Jorge | Valdes | Indiana State |
| DB | Tim | White | South Dakota |
| LS | Ryan | Algrim | Southern Illinois |
| LS | Caleb | Bowers | North Dakota State |
| LS | Dylan | Calabrese | Illinois State |
| LS | Byron | Floyd | Youngstown State |
| LS | Kaydon | Olivia | South Dakota State |
| P | Hayden | Futch | Illinois State |
| P | Paul | Geelen | Southern Illinois |
| P | Brendon | Kilpatrick | Youngstown State |
| P | Tom | O’Hara | Murray State |
| P | Harry | Traum | Indiana State |
| PK | Paul | Geelen | Southern Illinois |
| PK | Andrew | Lastovka | Youngstown State |
| PK | Will | Leyland | South Dakota |
| RS | Jackson | Williams | North Dakota State |
| AP | RaJa | Nelson | North Dakota State |
